Vehicle suspension means



oct. 9, 1923. 1,469,788

K. HELLENTHAL VEHICLE SUSPENSION MEANS Filed Feb. 2. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 masias K. HELLENTHAL 'VEHIGL SUSPENSION MEANS 2 sheets-Sheet z Filed Feb. 2, 1920 Patented 0d.. 9, `1923.

KARL HELLENTHAL, DECEASED, LATE or CHICAGO, anuncis; BY EMIL r. LINK Ann MARTIN REINEL, EXECUTORS.

VEHICLE SUSPENSION MEANS. n

Application filed February 2, 1920. serrai in). 355,834.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that KARL HELLENTHAI deceased, a citizen of the United States,

formerly residing at Chicago, in the county sion means and particularly to `meansfor` suspending` and carrying automobile bodies.

`use in connection with the invention;

The primary object of the invention is the provision of spring suspension means which will carry the weight ofthe automobile, body and passengers or other load carried there- 3 M p .bell crank; and, v

is an end elevation of the bracket by in such manner that a minimum of shocks will be imparted to the vehicle body as the wheels meet with obstructions in the roadway.

Another and further object of the invention 4is; the provision of a vehicle suspension means which can be changed to meet varying load conditions of the .vehicle and also to compensate for the various weights of the vehicle body. l f I Another and further object of the' inven-` tion is the provision of vehicle suspension' means arranged ,in such manner that the'- shockscaused by the wheels of the vehicle striking obstructions inthe roadway areA counteracted an d neutralized by the springs and, Vinthe manner of suspending the vehi-v cle body, without imparting` such shocks to the vehicle body.

Still another and furtherobject of the invention is the 'provision of` vehicle suspension means 'comprising a set of bell cranks supporting the weight -of the vehicle body andv'secured yat one of their ends tothe vehicle 'axle by suitable connections, with coil springs-connected to another part of the-ve` hicle and to the free ends of the bell cranks,

the angle of the bell cranks andthe methods of sustaining them in position being such that the'v leverage of the coil springs, will be in the exact proportion to the stress to which the 4said coil springs are subjected, that is,in

the same proportionas the stress in the .coill springs increases their leverage decreases and vice versa, thus-maintaining the vehicle body in equilibrium at all times.

Still.4 another object of the `inventionis the provision of means for suspending the,`

vehicle 'whichfwill be simplein construction and ,which will be efficient in operatlon'.v

These and other `objects` `of .thenventionf i will be more fully, and betterunderstood by l .i l i reference tothe accompanying drawings,

. and in 'which- Y Figure 1 is. ay side`ele`vation view of `a vel hicle embodying my invent/1011; 'y i Figure 2' is a sectional view on line' 2--21 4 ofv Figure 1;V ,4, A

Figure 3 is a detail ylew vtaken on linev 3-13 of Figure v1; .1 l Figures: is av modified form ofbracket for Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line body 1()y is shown to which a pair vof front and rear bracketsy 11 y,and 12 respectively are secured by means of bolts 13. Front and y i rear wheels lllland 15 ,respectively are p'ro` 1 Avided which are mounted` upon axles -16 in"-` Belll cranks 17 [arevv` the usual manner.

mounted uponthe axles 16 and'have coil springs 18 Vand,191respectively secured to their free ends, the `said valve cranks com- ,1.

prising the horizontally'ektending arm and 4 anarm extending upward therefrom at "an angle of approximately"forty-live degrees, l.

' The bracketsv 11 and12" are secured to the ii:

bell crankswby lmeans ofpins 2O ory in any other suitable `manner.v Y. Ai pairb of threadedy f spindles 21, 21 are provided whiclrare ymountedj' withiny suitable brackets "22, 22, 'whicharegjsecuredto the bodyl 10 in any suitable..` manner. A4Mounted upon the spindles 21 `and 'in threadedv engagement therewithisa pair-of nuts 23, 23 `to which links 2lare secured by meansof lpins 25,v .25." The springs 18 and 19 are secured-to` the nuts 23 by means of the links 24'. .Lv klever 26is carried bythe spindles21 which have thesquaredends ittedinto the lower.. v n

end of ithe-leverl 26. `The 'lever 2,6y can be. jmoved, forwardlyor rearwardlyout of engagementwitheither' one of the spindlesv 10,5,` 1 21,1so that each' of thespindles'21 canbe@ "adjustedto different positions irrespective..

of the other or the lever 26.may*befused, .asv

' shown inthe drawing, `in 'engagement with i l both of the spindles 21,so that both can -has left hand threads,

turned at the same time one of said spindles having right hand threads, while the other mechanism may be used to turn thespindles 21 instead of a lever, as shown. Fins 23a project upwardly from the nuts 23 into slots 24a in the bottom of the kvehicle body and prevent turning of the nuts 23 upon the spindles 21. Yokes v27 are provided which are secured to the bell cranks 17 by means of pins 28, the springs 18 and 19 passing through the said yokes 27; Auxiliary coil springs 29 are provided which are mounted on the yokes 27 andare interposed between tlie body 10 of the vehicle and the yokes 27, and which are adapted and the axle 16.

of va pin 40.

Referring now to Figures'4 and 5 in which a modiiied form of the device is shown, a bracket 32 is provided which is secured to the vehicle body 10 by means of bolts 13, 13, the lower end of the bracket being secured to the bell crank 17 by means of a pin 20, The bracket 32 has a curved track 33 intermediate its upper and lower ends and which forms afbearing surface for a roller 34 to which is secured a link 35 which has a coil spring 18 attached thereto. A pair Iof links 36 connect the roller 34 with the forward end of the bell crank 17 by means of pin 37. `As theaxle 16 is raised and' lowered by reason of the wheels striking obstructions in the roadway, the bell crank will be oscillated and the roller 34 will vtravel'upon the curved track 33 of the bracket 32, the angle of the bell crank 17 andv the shape of vtrack 33 beingsuch thatas the tension of the spring 18v is changed by reason of the upward and downward movement of the axle 16 the leverage of the spring, will be correspondingly decreased or increased, thus keeping the vehicle body in equilibrium at all times.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, a

bracket 38 is shown which is securedy to the vehicle body 10 by means of bolts 13, 13." A bell crank 39 'is secured to the axle 16, the` said bracket 38 being secured at its lower end to the bell crank 39 byineans On the inner sides lot'the bracket 38 is provided apair inclined track portions' 41 integral with the bracket 38 and with vwhich rollers 42, 42 contact. A

A suitable ratchetifieavee roller 43 is provided which is mounted upon a pin 44 extending through the rollers 42, 42. Links 45 connect the pin 44 with the coiled'spring 18 and thus the weight of the car is suspended upon the bell crank 39, the outer end of which is held in -position by means of the spring 18 acting through the links 45 and the rollers 42 and a single roller 43 which is in Contact with the outer end of the bell crank 39. 1n this form of the device the springs are not connected to the bell cranks but the outer end of the bell crank is supported by means of the roller 43 upon which the bell crank rests.

It will now be understood that the total load is carried by the coil springs and by the light auxiliary springs. The coil springs are so arranged through the proper disposition of the bell cranks that their sup porting power remains constant for any position of the axles; as described before,

'the light auxiliary springs change in theiry supporting power with the varying positions of the axles, they act, therefore, as a cushioning device for any unusual forces outside of the weight of the car body.

` As the wheels strike an obstruction in the road the axles will be lifted up, the bell cranks oscillated and the auxiliary springs compressed. The oscillating of the bell cranks having no effect on the supporting power of the coil springs, the only thing disturbing the equilibrium of the vehicle body is, therefore, the change in the compression of the auxiliary springs, and this change is the smaller the lighter the auxiliary springs are. After the wheel has met with and passed over an obstruction the bell cranks will, of course, return to their nor- -mal position through the action of the auxiliary springs 29. By means of the lever 26 the springs 18 and 19 can be adjusted to any varying condition of load for the vehicle or for weight of the vehicle body as may be desired. It will thus be understood that the vehicle body will be carried in a constant state of equilibrium and that instead of having shocks imparted directly to the vehicle body, as isthe case with ordinary automobile construction, the shocks will be absorbed by the coil springs 18 and 19 and by the auxiliary springs 29 without subjecting the vehicle body to such shocks.

It 'will be further understoody with both the modified forms the auxiliary springs and yoke connections are employed and are connected to the bell cranks in the same manner as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

`While we have described more or less precisely the details of construction, we dovnot wi sh to be understood as being limited thereto, as such change-s in form and in the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims:

1.oIn combination, a vehicle body, a pair of vertically movable axles, supporting members carried by said axles connected to the 'vehicle body at their upper ends, wheels mounted upon the said axles, an auxiliary supporting means comprising bell crank levers pivotally mounted at one of their ends to said axles, springs secured to the said bell cranks at their free ends, adjustable fastening means for securing the said springs to the vehicle body and vertically extending brackets connected to the vehicle body at their upper ends and to the bell cranks at their lower ends, the bell cranks comprising a pair of arms extending each way from the point of support of the vertically extending brackets at an angle of approximately fortyive (45) degrees to each other.

2. In combination, a vehicle body, a pair of vertically movab-le axles, supporting members carried by said axles connected to the vehicle body at their upper ends, wheels mounted upon the said axles, an auxiliary supporting means comprising bell crank levers pivotally mounted at one of their ends to said axles, springs secured to the said bell cranks at their free ends, adjustable fastening means for securing the said springs to the vehicle body and vertically extending brackets connected to the vehicle i 3. In combination, a vehiclebody, a pair i of vertically movable axles, wheels mounted upon said axles, bell crank levers pivotally mounted at one of theirends to said axles,

vertically extending supporting yokes secured to said vehicleI body at one of their ends and fastened to said bell crank at their lower ends, coil springs adjustably secured to said vehicle body at one of their ends, a pair of links connecting the free ends o'fsaid bell crank levers and said spring, rollers secured to said links, and tracks within said yokes upon which said rollers operate.

EMIL F. LINK, MARTIN REINEL, E'aaecutoasy of Km'Z Hellenthal,deceased. 

